MT Unit 3 Prefixes, suffixes, Roots and Abbreviations Flashcards
a–
not
amphi–
around; on both sides
an–
not
ana–
up, throughout, again
anti–
against (an action)
apo–
from, off, away
auto–
self
bi–
two, double
cata–
down, downward
de–
from, down, out
di–
separate, apart, double, two
en–
inside
endo–
inside
epi–
on top of
eu–
good; well-
exo–
out, outside, without
extra–
outside, more, beyond
haplo–
single
hetero–
other, different
holo–
whole
hyper–
too much
hypo–
too little
inter–
between, among
intra–
inside
iso–
equal
macro–
large
mero–
a part
meta–
between, with, after; change
micro–
small
mono–
one, single
oligo–
several; a handful
par–
para–
beside; near
poly–
many, much
pro–
in front of; in favor of
pseudo–
false, lying
re–
again
sub–
an underlayer; support
sym–
with, together
telo–
an end; complete
trans–
through
tri–
three
cetyl
the name of a chemical group
acid
a property of some chemicals
aden
gland
adip/o
fat
aero
air
alcoh[ol]
the name of a chemical group; alcohols end in the suffix “–ol”
alkali
a property of some chemicals
allele
one form of a gene (unit of inheritance)
apex
tip; the highest point
astro
star
bios
life
base
bottom; the lowest point
blast/o
a rapidly dividing cell
body
large molecule
bol
throw (forward movement)
carbo
carbon, an element found in all living things
cell
the unit of life; a mixture of chemicals and organelles bounded by a membrane
centri
centro
center
chol/e
bile
chondr/o
cartilage
chondrion
grain
chrom/at/o
color
cilia
eyelash
code
letters that contain a (sometimes hidden) meaning
coll
glue
column
a shape higher than it is wide
crine
secretion; release from cells or from the body
cub[e]
a shape of equal height and width
cyst
fluid-filled space
cyt
cyte
cyto
cell
dendr/o
tree
diffus
pouring out
dominant
showing a quality if there is only one copy (of a gene)
dynam
power, energy
elast[ic]
capable of being stretched and snaps back into place when released
electr/o
related to electricity
ergon
energy
erythr/o
the color red
ester
the name of a chemical group
estrus
reproductive cycle in female non-human mammals
ethane
the name of a chemical group
expressed
being shown
fibro
fiber
filament
a thread
fruct
fruit
gamete
a cell needed for reproduction
gastr
stomach
gen
geno
genet
birth (dealing with inheritance)
gland
gland
glia
glue
glob
glob, wad (pertaining to the shape of a protein)
gluco
glyco
sweet, sugar; the name of a chemical group that makes a chemical sweet
glycerine
a sweet, sticky chemical (glycer– + –ine)
goblet
goblet, chalice; a drinking vessel which holds a large amount of liquid
guano
bat poop
hem/o
blood
hist/o
tissue
hydra
hydro
water
immuno
body defenses against micro-organisms and other invaders
insula
island
ion
particle which carries an electrical charge
kalium
Latin name for the element potassium (found in the vegetable kale)
kary/o
the cell nucleus (from the Greek for nut)
keto
the name of a chemical group
kin/e
movement; also used to describe the addition of a phosphate chemical group
lact
milk
lamina
thin plate, sheet, layer
lariat
a loop
layer
layer
leuk/o
the color white
ligand
a molecule that attaches to a receptor
lip/o
fat
lymph/o
vessels that drain fluid from around the cells
lyse
lyso
breakdown
lyte
product of a breakdown
lyze
process of breaking down
magnet
substance which attracts other magnetic substances
malt
grain that has been steeped, germinated, and dried
mei
less
mer
mere
a part
methyl
the name of a chemical group
mito
thread
mole
word describing a unit in chemistry
natr[ium]
Latin word for the element sodium
natur/e
the state something was born in
neo
new
nephr
kidney
neutral
having no electrical charge
nucleus
nucle
nucleo
nucleot
the center of an atom or the center of a cell
organ
instrument
osmos
pushing, thrusting
osteo
bone
oxi
oxy
shortened form of the element oxygen
parallel
side-by-side
path
feeling, suffering (used to describe molecules)
path/o
disease (used to describe a medical condition, in the sense of “suffering”)
pen[dere]
hang
pept
peptido
protein
per
large amount of
phage
phago
eat
phase
stage; appearance
pheno
shine; appearance
phil
love
phob
fear
phospho/r
the element phosphorus and related chemical groupings
phot
light
pino
drink
plasm
something molded; plastic or dough
ploid
fold; numbered
pol[e]
one end of a round object, as in North Pole & South Pole
port
to carry; a door
prim
first
prosta[te]
gland in male that surrounds the urethra
prot
prote
proteo
first, original; class of molecules that are essential for life
ptosis
drooping
receptor
a protein on the surface of a cell that turns a chemical on the outside to a signal on the inside of the cell
recess
showing a quality if there are two copies (of a gene)
ret[e]
net, network
ribose
the name of a chemical group found in cells
script
writing
secre
set apart; release
skelet
bones
sol
solut
dissolve
soma
somat
somato
some
body
son
sound
squam
a shape wider than it is high (literally, “fish-scale”)
ster
solid; a chemical that is solid at room temperature
stratum
layer
sucr
sugar
surf[ace]
outside part
test[is]
male testicle
thel[e]
nipple
therm/o
temperature
thromb/o
clot
thym[us]
an organ of the upper chest
tom
cutting
ton
firmness (for example, of tissues or muscle)
top[os]
place
translation
carry across
trop
turning towards
tub[e]
pipe
type
kind
ur
urine
valence
strength
vascul
little vessel
vesic
bladder
villus
hair
zyme
yeast; ferment
–al
pertaining to
–an
chemical name ending
–ance
to give
–ant
state of being
–ar
pertaining to
–ase
chemical name ending for an enzyme
(a protein that promotes the breaking or building of chemical bonds)
–ate
chemical name ending
–cule
diminutive suffix
(describes a smaller version of the word in front of it)
–ein
chemical name ending
–elle
diminutive suffix
–emia
present in blood, indicating disease
–er
word ending that turns a verb into a noun
–gen
arising from
–ic
pertaining to
–ical
pertaining to
–icle
diminutive suffix
–icul
diminutive suffix
–id
chemical name ending
–ide
chemical name ending
–ified
word ending that turns a noun into an adjective
–il
chemical name ending
–in
chemical name ending for a protein
–ine
chemical name ending
–ion
word ending that turns a verb into a noun
–is
process word ending
–ism
belief; process word ending
–ity
turns a noun into a state of being
–ium
anatomical structure word ending
–ive
to go
–logy
study of
–lysis
breakdown process
–oid
resembling
–ol
chemical name ending for an alcohol
–ole
diminutive suffix
–olus
diminutive suffix
–on
unit of anatomical or functional structure
–one
chemical name ending
–ose
chemical name ending for a sugar
–osis
process
–ote
word ending indicating membership in a group
–ous
word ending that turns a noun into an adjective
–penia
low levels of; scarcity
–sion
word ending that turns a verb into a noun
–sis
process word ending
–some
body; structure
–tic
pertaining to; t added to make it sound better
–tion
word ending that turns a verb into a noun
–type
impression made by
–ula
–ule
diminutive suffix
–um
anatomical structure word ending
–ase
name for an enzyme, a protein or RNA molecule which promotes the forming or breaking of chemical bonds
–in
name for a protein, a large molecule made up of many amino acids
–ol
name for an alcohol
–ose
name for a sugar
DNA
deoxyribonucleic acid, the carrier of genetic information for the cell
EtOH
ethanol
MTOC
microtubule organizing center, where microtubules are made
RNA
ribonucleic acid, the “go-between” linking DNA to protein synthesis
